CasaVietnam — Restaurant in Milan

Fyi, we are Vietnamese, living in Europe for quite some years so my review is based on the observation in other Vietnamese restaurants in Europe. Food: 7/10 authentic compared to Vietnamese food we have at home; and 10/10 compared to other restaurants. The food is more like Northern style, so it may taste plain to some people. They cannot serve that many dishes, because: this is Europe (not many ingredients are available), and they are quite a small place. So if you ever complain that they lack a variety of dishes, go to the Netherlands where they only serve you instant pho. :) Service: for me it is not the best, but definitely not the worst. We came in quite late and had to wait for 35 minutes, but it was fine because they were super full (I read comments like "they had lots of empty tables but didn't take us"… it is defined as "reservation" lol). Anw, the servers were nice! Atmosphere: Really cozy. The only thing is the AC was not the best (maybe it was crowded inside), so after eating pho I was sweating a lot. Other than that, I don't have anything to complain (also, they played authentic Vietnamese music). I'm just a tourist from another country, having nearly 2 days in Milan and I had to go here 2 times. I understand that it might be quite overwhelming for Vietnamese tourists to eat Viet food in Europe, but they are doing a good job! Some comments really pissed me off about how some people were too ignorant. I worked in restaurants before, and I totally understand the pressure they have every day. Be more...

As a Vietnamese American from Boston, USA, where excellent Vietnamese food is abundant, my review might seem a bit critical, but I'll aim to be fair.

We ordered the goi cuon for appetizers, and the bun cha Ha Noi and com thit nuong for main dishes. The goi cuon was good, featuring both shrimp and grilled pork, which is a nice touch compared to the usual either-or option in the States. There was also the addition of pineapple. The peanut dipping sauce was tasty but could have been a bit sweeter and saltier for my taste. Surprisingly, the order only came with one roll, so we had to order an extra.

The grilled pork plate was fine but the pork was a bit dry and the pickled veggies weren't pickled enough. A notable difference I've noticed in Vietnamese restaurants in Italy (including one I visited in Rome last year) is the nuoc cham, or fish sauce dipping sauce. It tastes very different from traditional nuoc cham, likely due to the use of balsamic or red wine vinegar instead of fish sauce, no chili peppers or garlic, possibly to cater to the Italian palate.

My significant other had the bun cha Ha Noi. The grilled pork patties were fine but underseasoned, and the accompanying dipping sauce couldn't quite compensate due to also being slightly underseasoned and lacking fish sauce, tasting more like vinegar.

If you're craving Vietnamese food, this place will suffice, but it may not blow you away. On the bright side, the service was great and the waitstaff were...

I ate there today (13/07/23) for lunch. The menu was very limited compared to a traditional Vietnamese restaurant. Many items were not available and or not able to takeaway. The flavours and condiments seem heavily reduced - maybe because the Chef can't cook traditional Vietnamese food or is catering for tourists and Italians.

The female staff (with glasses) was rather rude and pointy. She brought my Pho Tai to the wrong customer, didn't give me chillies as asked and told me off in a very loud tone for ordering something that was not available. You would think these people had at least 1 IQ to write N/A on the menu.

Only go here if you are desperate for Vietnamese food and or sick of bland...